{DIARY OF AN ITINERANT CHEF}

Pho last night was good - not great. The broth was a little too salty and the beef not sliced nearly thin enough. What was really fun though were the fireworks that they were setting off inside the building - amongst mounds of red paper debris from spent firecrackers no less.

Today's the Valentine's Day menu. I haven't had a chance to look at the whole menu yet - I'll get a copy later - but I know the amuse-bouche. It's a cream of guacamole - Thermomixed super-smooth, double-CO2 charged from an iSi siphon; served in a martini glass; with three julienned strips of sauteed picadillo peppers; garnished with a small, artfully-trimmed leaf of romaine lettuce; and topped with a generous scoop of oscetra caviar.

We're booked full tonight - about 45 covers - but special menus are easy to do - since you know what everyone's having. Mise en place is a cinch.

I spent my free time working the black truffles again. Washing them - with a big bowl of tepid water and the longer, softer bristles of an ordinary nail brush. You hold the black truffle in one hand - these were the size of baseballs - dip the brush into the water with the other - and just moisten the truffle and brush off any loose dirt. You do not ever immerse the truffle in water. Arrange them on a rack in a hotel pan to dry. Turn them as needed to air dry all sides.

I have to get back to work now - we work double shifts. Happy Valentine's Day!